Glider



March 7, 1944. R D RUSSELL 2,343,710

GLIDER Filed Jan. 29, 194.;

Patente'd Mar. 7, 1944 `UNITED STATESf PATENT OFFICE GLIDER Richard D.Russell, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application January 29, 1943, SerialNo. 473,991

(Cl. lifi- 79) 9 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in gliders as described in thepresent specication and shown in the accompanying drawing that forms apart of the same.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensiveand instructive toy which can be made entirely of cardboard or othermaterial readily obtainable under war conditions; which can be preparedand sold in knock-down condition, thus facilitating packing andtransportation and also providing interesting and instructive occupationfor the person assembling same, and in which is incorporated adjustablemeans for varying the angle and distance of flight to meet differentconditions.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction,arrangements and combinations of parts described in the presentspecication and more particularly pointed out in the claims for noveltyfollowing.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of my improved glider, with an alternateposition of the adjustable nose clip shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the glider.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the blank from which the body of the glideris formed.

Figure 4 is a plan detail of the adjustable clip.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the weighting member.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the variousiigures.

Referring to the drawing the body of the glider is formed from a singlepiece of cardboard, or other suitable material, shaped to provide anelongated main body portion I having at one end thereof opposedlaterally extending parts 2 and 3 curved along their inner edges, as at4, and cut away square at their ends, as at 5.

The blank just described is scored longitudinally in its transversecentre, as shown at E, and is adapted to be folded along this score lineand when thus folded provides an elongated troughlike member 'I fromwhich extend upwardly the projecting parts 2 and 3 to provide the tailmember.

The blank before being folded is substantially ovate in plan from thefront end to the lateral projections 2 and 3 so that when folded thedepth of the body of the glider will be greatest at a pointsubstantially midway between the front end and the tail member and willdecrease forwardly to its nose and rearwardly to the tail.

The blank is cut away at each side midway of the length of the body toprovide opposed recesses I0, which in the folded condition of the blankregister with each other and provide a cross opening adapted to permitof counter-sinking the wing II.

The wing II is of considerably greater width than the cross opening inthe body and to provide proper interlocking engagement between the saidwing and the body of the glider the material at each end of each of therecesses I0 is undercut, as at I2, for the reception of the opposingside edges of said wing and said wing is provided with opposed lateralprojections I3 adapted to fit between the opposing side walls of theglider at opposite ends of the wing opening for the purpose ofpreventing longitudinal displacement of the wing and for the furtherpurpose of spreading the side walls of the glider apart to give thedesired shape to the body.

If desired the wing II may be given a slightly arcuate shape in crosssection by making the total distance between the extreme ends of thelongitudinallyr opposed undercuts I2 less than the width of the wing sothat the said wing will be held curved.

The blank of which the body is formed is cut away at each side inadvance of the tail member, as at I4, and the recesses thus formedregister with cross slots I5 which extend into the material at each sideof the respective recesses. These slots register when the body is formedby folding the blank and are adapted to receive the tail wing I6, whichlatter is slotted from its rear edge inwardly to receive the tail memberand hold the sections thereof tightly together, and at its forward edgeis provided with substantially parallel slots Il and I8 adapted toreceive the opposing side walls of the body, with the portion I9 betweensaid slots I1 and I8 lying between said walls and preferably turned downslightly to prevent longitudinal movement of the wing I6.

The body blank is cut away centrally at its forward end and is providedwith spaced rearwardly extending parallel slots 20 whereby to provide atongue 2| `terminating short of the nose of the glider so that when theblank is folded to formV the glider the lower portions of the side wallswill be somewhat shorter than the upper portions of said walls and theslots 20 will extend rearwardly in aligned relation to one another.

22 is a Weighting member consisting of a sheet of heavy cardboard, orother suitable material, adapted to be inserted between the side wallsof the body and extending from the nose to substantially the front edgeof the wing Il and being movable forwardly and rearwardly to theposition necessary to give the proper balance to the glider, theweighting member being shaped to fit the contour of the side walls andbeing inclined at its inner end, as at 23, to extend upwardly over thefront projection l?. of the said wing to hold said projection, or flap,down. The member 22 is also provided with a slot 25 extending inwardlyfrom its front end and adapted to register with the -aligned slots inthe body of the glider.

25 is a clip preferably consisting of a flat piece of relatively thickand heavy cardboard having a central elongated slot 25 extendinginwardly from one end thereof whereby `it can be `slipped inwardly overthe nose of the glider, in register with the slots 20 in the b'o'dyandthe slot '24 in tre weighting member and thus hold the side walls andsaid weighting member firmly locked together in any of 'their relativelyadjusted positions. n

The nose clip 25 is 'preferably reduced in width towards each of itsends for streamlining -purposes.

The slot 26 in the clip 2:5 is of such length as to permit of adjustmentofthe clip longitudinally of the gliderwhe'reby to transfer the weightforwardly or rearwardly as may be required to give proper balance underdifferent conditions. When the glider is being assembled the clip, andthe weighting member 22, can be adjusted to the proper positions thatwhen the glider is held by the wing tips it 'will be in true'balance,preferably with the nose pointing downwardly slightly. Under certainconditions, however, itmay be desirable to alter the point of liftrearwardly or forwardly. For instance, when the glider is being flown in'a restricted area, such as in a room, and itis desired to Vrestrict thedistance o'f fiight'the clip canbe moved backwardly to transfer theweight to apoint nearer the main wing and thus put the glider out ofbalance Ato the extent that it`will stall 'and `drop 'to the groundwithin a shorter distance than it would were the weightfuther forward.

While I have -illustrated and described the present preferred "form vofconstruction for carrying out my invention, this is capable of variationand 'modification without departing "from the spirit of lthe invention.I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to fthe 'precise detailsof'construction set forth, 'but desire to avail myself of such lvariationsTand modifications as 'come within the fsco'pe of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A glider comprising fabodyand Itail Lforme'd of a single .piece ofsheet material vfolded to provide upstandingvs'ide walls -clo'sed along.the bottom, a main winginter'lockin'g with saidwalls and holding samespaced apart'midway olf "the length of the body, a rearwing'interlocking 'with said walls and holding same locked "together, "aweighting member inserted 'between the 'walls in advance of the mainwing and Vmovable `1ongitudinally of the .glider whereby 'to effectthebalance ofthegllder, and a clip extending -over the forward end of thebody and locking the side walls and the weighting member together, saidclip being adjustable longitudinally of the body.

2. A glider according to claim 1, in which the side walls are recessedin opposition for the reception of the main wing and in which the endwalls of the respective recesses are slotted for the reception of theedges of said wing.

3. A glider according to claim l, in which the main Wing is providedwith opposed lateral projections adapted to lie between the side wallsat opposite sides of the wing.

4. A glider according to claim 1, in which said clip comprises a memberhaving an elongated central slot extending from one end thereof adaptedto receive the forward end of the body.

5. A glider according to claim 1, in which the said weighting memberconsists of a fiat piece of heavy sheet material shaped to the contourof the side walls and fitting therebetween.

6. A glider according to claim l, in which the weighting member and thewalls of the body are slotted longitudinally from the front end inalignment for the reception of the portion of theslotted clip beyond theslot in the latter.

7. A glider comprising a body and tail formed of a single piece of sheetmaterial folded to pro vide upstanding side walls closed along thebottom, a main wing interlocking with said walls and holding said wallsspaced apart midway ol the length of the body, a rear wing interlockinglwith said walls and holding same locked together, a weighting memberinserted between the walls in advance of the main wing and movablelongitudinally of the glider, and bifurcate means frictionally embracingthe nose of the glider and adjustable longitudinally thereof for lockingsaid weighting member to its adjusted position between the side walls.

8. A glider according to claim '7, lin which said adjustable meanscomprises a rigid piece of relatively heavy -sheet material slottedlongitudinally from one end to span the nose of the glider and permit ofadjustment along said nose, said sheet lying at right angles to thewalls of the nose and extending laterally therefrom at each side `and atthe front of the nose to provide a relatively large underside aircontacting area.

9. A'glider comprising a body and tail formed of a single piece of sheetmaterial folded to provide upstanding side walls closed along thebottom, said walls being provided with aligned slots from the forwardends thereof, wing means connected to said walls, a weighting memberinserted between said walls at the forward ends thereof and adjustablelongitudinally of the glider, Vsaid weighting member being slotted fromthe forward end in alignment with the slots insaid walls, and aplateextending `beyond the forward end of the glider and adjustablelongitudinally within the aligned slots in said walls and said-weightingmembensaid plate having a bifurc'at'e portion frictionally embracing thewalls ofthe glider rearward of said slots and locking rsaid V'weightingmember to its adjusted position between said walls.

RICHARD D. RUSSELL.

